C-Bid, Do You Really Save Vs. B&M?

[Major Captain Silly]

My method on C-Bid is to:

1. Find what I want.
2. Bid early, like the 1st day it is offered instead of the last. Reason being, if they have 5-5 pack lots and I am the first to bid $7.99 for it, the other 4 have to go over $7.99 before I get kicked out of the auction.
3. Put my max bid in at 20% below MSRP for whatever I'm bidding on. If I get outbid, no biggie. The same thing will be auctioned in a day or two.
4. Have C-Bid ship once a week vs after each auction end. This saves on shipping.

MCS

[Ratters]

I'm saving a ton of money at Cigarbid.

I'm saving myself right into the poor house.

[jdbwolverines]

Originally Posted by Ratters

I'm saving a ton of money at Cigarbid.

I'm saving myself right into the poor house.

Will you save money when compared to buying the exact same thing at the B&M...most likely. Will you buy twice as much and spend a lot more than you usually would...most likely .

Remember too though, while there are often great deals online, it is important to keep supporting local retailers and establishing relationships there. They are one of our last remaining allies against the anti-smoking movement that is sweeping the nation.

[Ratters]

I spend at least $50 a month, often more, at my B&M, almost all on singles. Then when I find something I like, I'll buy a box online. Though to tell the truth, most of my online purchases have been impulse buys.

[vstrommark]

Originally Posted by brigey

From the sound of it, when you buy merchandise from C-Bid, it almost sounds like you are spending more than you would at a local B&M. Tell me I'm wrong!

Okay, you're wrong, but I'm Mark.

I have done a lot of business lately with c-bid and CI and have done business with Holts in the past. As others have mentioned, you really have to be careful not to get sucked in on an auction, as the 'hunt' can be addicting. Part of my strategy for buying is to not buy anything until I have compared prices side-by-side. Tabbed browsing makes this much easier and faster than it used to be. I also give my local shops a chance to come close to the prices that I'm getting online, especially for boxes, as I like supporting B&Ms when I can and I have three really good local shops with really great people.

One thing to keep in mind is shipping, as that can tip the best deal in a different direction than just price. I've stumbled across some "free shipping for today" deals that turned a good price into a fantastic price.

This is a long way of saying "you are so right!" but for some reason, I'm chatty today - oh yeah, it's our 15th anniversary today. Much smoke that Opus X that I've been saving and perhaps have a wee dram of 30 y.o. scotch.

[MarkinCA]

[SIZE=3]I agree with a majority of my fellow gorillas that you really need to do your homework to search out the best price. The B&M is a great place to sample product and learn about the industry from the owner.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]It also pays to keep a good library 'bookmarked' for easy reference on your computer. With that in mind, I'll present another web page for reference:[/SIZE]

http://club.cigarprice.com/index.htm

[SIZE=3]If you do your homework, I think you can score some excellent deals on Cbid. Its alot of fun! At the same time, I can just as easily go to JR and score on a 5-pack too. Hope this helps you....[/SIZE]

[SmokeyJoe]

Originally Posted by Ron1YY

Yes and No. When people get caught up in bid fever, you can end up paying more. That's where knowing the product and price you are willing to pay comes in to play.

Ron

Exactly! I've got a friend who gets caught up in "winning" the bid - throws common sense out the window. Gets that "E-bay" mentality going and he's gone!
I keep telling him you didn't "win," that's just C-Bid talk for "purchasing at a floating price."

[kansashat]

I have recently won 3 boxes from c-bid & have been happy with the end result.

Remember, ppl from all over the US bid at c-bid & "fair market price" is many times dictated by their local tax rates. Extremely popular "super premiums" tend to go high on c-bid also (it would be interesting to see if most of these bidders come from states with extremely high excise taxes).

My winnings are as follows.......

Gran Habano 3 Siglos robusto (box of 20)

C-bid----CI
$73.00----$105.95

Don Lino Africa Punda Milia (box of 25)

C-bid----CI
$61.00----$101.95 (I found this one at cheapercigars.com for $88.95)

5 Vegas Miami petit corona (box of 20)

C-bid----Cigar.com
$49.00----$94.95

[BigFrankMD]

Originally Posted by kansashat

I have recently won 3 boxes from c-bid & have been happy with the end result.

Remember, ppl from all over the US bid at c-bid & "fair market price" is many times dictated by their local tax rates. Extremely popular "super premiums" tend to go high on c-bid also (it would be interesting to see if most of these bidders come from states with extremely high excise taxes).

My winnings are as follows.......

Gran Habano 3 Siglos robusto (box of 20)

C-bid----CI
$73.00----$105.95

Don Lino Africa Punda Milia (box of 25)

C-bid----CI
$61.00----$101.95 (I found this one at cheapercigars.com for $88.95)

5 Vegas Miami petit corona (box of 20)

C-bid----Cigar.com
$49.00----$94.95

Nice haul!
Don Lino and Vegas Miami will be on my next bidding!

[kjjm4]

I get most of the sticks I buy on cbid for about 1/3 what I'd pay at the B&M for them. If I factor in the gas I'd use to get to the B&M (the nearest decent one is ~50 miles away), I save even more money.

I bid early, and set my max bid at 2/3 of the retail price at CI, and if I lose the auction, I lose. I never increase my bid past the 2/3 of retail limit.

[tzaddi]

[SIZE="4"]BUZZ KILL ALERT!!![/SIZE]
























Does everyone factor in the payment to the state franchise tax board as is required by law when purchasing from a company that is online and out of your home state, where it applies? (Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink)

[yayson]

Originally Posted by Major Captain Silly

My method on C-Bid is to:

1. Find what I want.
2. Bid early, like the 1st day it is offered instead of the last. Reason being, if they have 5-5 pack lots and I am the first to bid $7.99 for it, the other 4 have to go over $7.99 before I get kicked out of the auction.
3. Put my max bid in at 20% below MSRP for whatever I'm bidding on. If I get outbid, no biggie. The same thing will be auctioned in a day or two.
4. Have C-Bid ship once a week vs after each auction end. This saves on shipping.

MCS

but I'll usually go 30-50% off MSRP for max bid. My B&Ms are usually right at MSRP so I always do better there.

That said, haven't been on cbid in a long while, dunno if things have changed much or not. You can set your max bid and ship weekly so I don't see any reason to spend over B&M prices unless you're bidding like a knucklehead.

OP PM ME daggumit

[St. Lou Stu]

I usually go to cbid or the other auction site with a list in mind so I can take advantage of combined shipping. That being said, if you know the true cost on what you want and don't get caught up in 'I got to have it' you can usually save some jack.
I get almost all my stuff on auction site[s].

[AriesOpusX]

Originally Posted by tzaddi

Does everyone factor in the payment to the state franchise tax board as is required by law when purchasing from a company that is online and out of your home state, where it applies? (Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink)

Oh of course.

[kjjm4]

Originally Posted by tzaddi

Does everyone factor in the payment to the state franchise tax board as is required by law when purchasing from a company that is online and out of your home state, where it applies? (Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink)

Cbid is in my home state, so I pay the tax.